Faith To Be Healed

[John81]

What is your understanding of this verse:

 

"The same heard Paul speak: who, stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed," Acts 14:9

 

What does it mean for one to have "faith to be healed"?

 

How did Paul perceive this man had such faith?

 

What application does this have for us today?

[Covenanter]

What is your understanding of this verse:

 

"The same heard Paul speak: who, stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed," Acts 14:9

 

What does it mean for one to have "faith to be healed"?

 

How did Paul perceive this man had such faith?

 

What application does this have for us today?

Good question. Similar to the situation of Peter & John with the lame man at the beautiful gate. Such things happened in Apostolic days, but while not impossible with God, such events would be extraordinary.

 

It goes beyond "faith-healing" where a confident belief promotes healing, whereas despondency does the opposite. A positive, Christ-centred approach to life & health is beneficial, but we cannot expect miracles. But rejoice when they happen!

[John81]

I agree, this verse is speaking to something other than what the "out there" faith healers refer to when they tell folks to muster up enough faith and they will be healed.

 

Since it's not referring to that, as I see it anyway, then I'm wondering just what is meant by saying he had faith to be healed.

 

In many cases we simply read of folks in the NT being healed after they were spoken to, but in this case it says Paul "perceived" this particular man had faith to be healed. Which leads me to wonder how Paul perceived this, and I suppose also points back to the original question of just what that means, the man having faith to be healed.

 

While the direct application of the verse may not pertain to us, I do wonder what others think the principle (or something else) for us today is.

[prophet1]

We have an avenue, since the end of the personally-chosen-by-God office of Apostle, to exercise that faith to be healed.

1.Believe God.

2. Present yourself to the elders of the church for annointing oil and prayer.

Jam 5:14-15
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

It seems to be exactly the same thing, available to us, still.

Same God.
Same power.
Same Love.

[John81]

While reading a devotional earlier I noticed Matthew 9:29.

 

Would this verse have any application to the OP verse?

[Anon]

These were sign gifts that were done away with when Scripture was completed.

[2bLikeJesus]

In my 56 years on this dirt ball, I have seen only 2 instances of God's direct healing.  They are evidenced by an instant and total in every way healing of the issue.  Both times I have witnessed this the attending physicians were shaken to their core (one got saved), they could not come up with any possible explanation. For instance, an advanced case cancer patient healed by God does NOT need continued chemo and radiation treatment. The cancer simply vanishes in an instant and no trace or lingering effects are found.  There is left absolutely no doubt that it was by the hand of God.  

 

So yes, I do believe that God can and does chose to heal people even today, but for whatever reason it is rare.  He typically will use the hand of man to do His work, and may guide a physician to a solution he would otherwise have not thought of. 

 

Bro. Garry

[Ukulelemike]

These were sign gifts that were done away with when Scripture was completed.

As well, there were those things that we considered signs of an apostle, and paul was an apostle, so he would do those works.

[John81]

The actual original question doesn't have anything to do with what one believes about sign gifts. The real intent of the question was to see if anyone knew what was actually meant by "he had faith to be healed", and in conjunction with that, what did it mean that Paul "perceived" that.

 

The more recent quote I put forth was due to the fact Christ said "according to your faith". This is similar, so I added that in to see if that would elicit any more insight.